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Xyris drummondii Malme
Drummond's Yellow-eyed-grass
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: No Georgia state protection
Global Rank: G3G4
State Rank: S1
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
2025 SGCN Priority Tier: High Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 3
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Pine flatwoods
Perennial herb usually occurring in clumps; the base of the plant has a shiny, reddish-brown patch that is often buried in soil. Leaves are 1.2 - 4 inches (3 - 10 cm) long, less than 0.2 inch (1.5 - 5 mm) wide, flat, with the leaf bases overlapping and forming a fan shape. The flower stalk is 1.6 - 8 inches (4 - 25 cm) tall, ribbed but not twisted, with a leaf-like sheath as long as or slightly shorter than most of the leaves enclosing the base of the stalk. The cone-like flower spike is 0.1 - 0.3 inch (3 - 8 mm) long, oval, solitary at the top of the flower stalk, composed of many tan, papery, rounded, overlapping bracts, each bract with a small green patch; flower spikes usually produce only 1 flower per day that opens in the morning and withers around noon. Each flower has 3 yellow petals that rise from under a bract; the sepals are hidden under the bracts.
There are more than 20 species of Xyris in Georgia and they are all similar. Xyris drummondii is distinguished by the reddish-brown patch at the base of the plant and by the sheath of the flower stalk which is about the same length as the leaves.
There are four rare species of Xyris in Georgia:
Xyris chapmanii (Chapman Yellow-eyed Grass, Special Concern) occurs in Fall Line seepage bogs. For more information, see: http://www.namethatplant.net/plantdetail.shtml?plant=2540
Xyris drummondii (Drummond Yellow-eyed Grass, Special Concern) occurs in pine flatwoods in Georgia's Fall Line and Coastal Plain ecoregions. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=16101
Xyris scabrifolia (Harper's Yellow-eyed Grass, Special Concern) occurs in sedge bogs, pitcherplant bogs, and pine flatwoods in Georgia's Fall Line and Coastal Plain ecoregions. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=15562
Xyris tennesseensis (Tennessee Yellow-eyed Grass, State and federal Endangered) occurs in seepy margins of limestone spring runs in northwest Georgia. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=17987
Open, sunny, pine-palmetto flatwoods, bogs, and hillside seeps.
Drummond’s Yellow-eyed Grass is a perennial herb that reproduces sexually by seed as well as vegetatively by lateral buds that develop in the axils of leaves at the base of the plant, thus forming clumps of plants. Plants produce one flower per day (rarely two) which opens in mid-morning and withers soon after noon. The flowers do not produce nectar, but attract pollen-eating insects such as bees and flies.
Surveys are best conducted during flowering, early to mid-morning, July–September.
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
Fire suppression, ditching and draining flatwoods and seeps, clearing and logging of habitat, conversion of habitat to pine plantations or agriculture.
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Energy production & mining | Transportation & service corridors | Biological resource use |
| Specific Threat | None | None | None |
Xyris drummondii is ranked S1 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, indicating that the species is critically imperiled in Georgia. Three populations have been documented in Georgia, two on private lands and one on a military base.
Apply prescribed fire every 2 - 3 years. Avoid mechanical disturbances to soil and ground cover. Protect bogs and seeps from conversion to pine plantations. Protect wetlands from drainage.
Chafin, L.G. 2007. Field guide to the rare plants of Georgia. State Botanical Garden of Georgia and University of Georgia Press, Athens.
GADNR. 2020. Element occurrence records for Xyris drummondii. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle, Georgia.
Godfrey, R.K. and J.W. Wooten. 1979. Aquatic and wetland plants of southeastern United States, Vol. 1, monocotyledons. University of Georgia Press, Athens.
Kral, R. 2000. Xyris drummondii species account. Flora of North America, Vol. 22. Oxford University Press, New York. http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Xyris_drummondii
Kral, R. 1966. Xyris (Xyridaceae) of the continental United States and Canada. Sida 2(3): 177-260.
Kral, R. 1983. A report on some rare, threatened, or endangered forest-related vascular plants of the South. Technical Publication R8-TP2. United States Forest Service, Atlanta.
NatureServe. 2020. Xyris drummondii species account. NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128853/Xyris_drummondii
Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-Atlantic States. University of North Carolina Herbarium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm
Linda G. Chafin
L.Chafin, Feb. 2009: original account
D.Weiler, Jan. 2010: added pictures
L.Chafin, Jun. 2020: updated original account
